Dubai - MENA Herald: Dubai Science Park (DSP), a member of TECOM Group and a business community focused on serving the science sector, hosted a Business Breakfast this week at its Laboratory Complex with leading regional law firm Al Tamimi & Company. The event – featuring speakers from DSP and its co-hosts on the topic of intellectual property in the science sector– was designed with entrepreneurs and SMEs in mind.
Presentations were delivered on topics including ‘IP Strategies’ and ‘Protection and Commercialisation of Innovations’ with a focus on the energy and environment sector. Following the presentations, a question and answer session took place with experts in the field before an opportunity for networking.
Marwan Abdulaziz Janahi, Executive Director, Dubai Science Park, said: “Our latest Business Breakfast created an ideal forum for our business partners operating in the energy and environment sector to learn more about how they can best equip their businesses for growth with effective intellectual property strategies.
“We’re delighted to have teamed up with leading lawyers at Al Tamimi & Company to help shed light on some of the issues our business partners should consider to ensure they are properly protected in what is a rapidly evolving field. We look forward to hosting similar events in the future that help share knowledge and best practice, and adding value to the businesses located here at Dubai Science Park as a platform for growth”
Omar Obeidat, Partner and Head of Intellectual Property, Al Tamimi & Company, added: “The science sector, and more specifically the energy and environment sector, is one in which we’re seeing rapid advances in technology, and as such the industry needs proper protection in its commercialisation stage and beyond. We’re pleased to have teamed up with Dubai Science Park at this important event which showcased some of the concerns amongst businesses and SMEs in regards to intellectual property and highlighted some of the ways in which they can tackle it.”
Ahmad Saleh, Head of Patents & Designs (R&D and Innovations), Al Tamimi & Company, added: “Research, Development and Innovations (R&D&I) is an essential path for SMEs to develop cutting edge technologies and achieve commercial success in today’s global competitive market which requires substantial investments in human capital and creativity, and as such SMEs need to adequately protect their innovations through available intellectual property vehicles, particularly patents and industrial designs, in order to legally secure a commercial monopoly and avoid misappropriation of its innovations by the competition and secure a proper return on their investments.
He added: “The energy and environment sector, and particularly developments in subsectors such as biofuels, solar thermal, solar PV and wind, have witnessed a stark increase in patent fillings. In fact, as of 2006, we have seen in this sector patent submissions in which exceeded those of the past 30 years prior to that. Solar thermal patents have jumped from an average annual growth rate of 3% between 1975 – 2005, to an impressive rate which exceeded 24% between 2006 and today. Contributing to the increase in fillings are rapid technological advances and a declining cost factor, further amplified by public- and private sector support to move towards non-traditional energy sources.”
The Dubai Science Park Business Breakfast event is part of a series of business-focused forums designed to enhance the businesses operating in the DSP community.
